Explaining Autism to a Teenager, their Family, and Whoever Needs to Know

When autism is confirmed in the teenage years, the diagnosis may not be embraced by the teenager themselves. The teenager may have already made up their mind about what autism is and have decided that the label does not describe them. They may already have accepted the stigma and discrimination that can be associated with the label of autism in our community. Teenagers are interested in fitting in, not being labelled as being different. And yet, better mental health outcomes for autistic people are associated with embracing the characteristics of autism as positive. We also find that when family members, teachers, and certain peers can shift to an accurate understanding of autism, teenagers benefit because they experience more understanding, acceptance, and validation. In this presentation, we describe approaches to explaining autism to a teenager that are tailored to their sensitivity around the diagnosis but include key information they need to know. Our approaches empower the teenager to choose who else may benefit from the knowledge. We also provide guidance on how to explain the teenager’s autistic characteristics to siblings, extended family members, school staff, an employer, and others the teenager chooses.